Getting there

Planes

San Jose’s Juan Santamaría International (SJO) is the main airport, served by most major airlines, including United Airlines (www.united.com), British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and TACA (www.taca.com). Flights operate from New York, Madrid, Miami, Toronto and other international cities. There's a departure tax of about US$26. Smaller airlines, including Nature Air (www.natureair.com) and Sansa (www.flysansa.com) cover Costa Rica’s smaller regional airports.

Automobiles

A rental car can come in handy for any travellers looking to explore Costa Rica’s parks and forests. There are rental kiosks at every airport and most tourist hubs. Hertz (www.hertz.com), Alamo (www.alamocostarica.com) and Adobe (www.adobecar.com) are reliable companies.